Ethan grins. “And a piercing.”
My list! I knew he saw it. “I can’t believe you went into my room and snooped through my stuff.” I cross my arms over my chest and pout. “There’s such a thing as personal privacy, you know.”
“I didn’t mean to,” he admits. “I was grabbing your stuff from your drawer and came across it.” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a piece of paper, and it’s then I realize he has my original list, not my new one.
“It’s quite a list,” he says, handing it to me.
I push it into my pocket. “You probably think it’s stupid… Everything I want to do are probably things you wouldn’t even second-guess doing.” I shrug, suddenly feeling the difference between Ethan and me. He’s so experienced, worldly, while I’ve been sheltered my entire life.
“I don’t think it’s stupid,” he says. “I think it’s brave. To force yourself out of your comfort zone.”
“As I’m sure you saw, I haven’t really forced myself out of anything,” I admit. “I’ve had it for years and only when I went to your club and got drunk and kissed you did I even do anything worthy of being on the list.”
“And what a kiss it was.” Ethan waggles his brows and pulls me into his arms. “And now you’re about to cross two more off your list.”
“Will you get one too?”
“I’m not sure how good I’ll look with my nose or belly button pierced,” Ethan jokes. “Although, I could get my dick pierced.”
If I were drinking, it would be all over the place. My face heats at the visual of Ethan’s dick being pierced, and he throws his head back in laughter, the sound spreading goose bumps all over my body.
“I meant a tattoo.”
“I know, but it’s fun to mess with you.” He throws his arm across the back of my shoulders and we walk into Forbidden Ink.
I notice the sign says they’re closed on Sundays, so I’m confused as to why they’re open now, until we step inside and a gorgeous raven-haired woman with beautiful, colorful tattoos running down her arms smiles at Ethan and calls him by name—she must’ve been expecting us, which means she opened just for us.
“Willow,” Ethan says, as she rounds the front desk and gives him a hug. “You’re looking beautiful as always.”
“Such a charmer,” she says back, before giving me her attention. “And you must be Nevaeh.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I tell her, putting my hand out.
She glances down at it for a second, before she laughs and pulls me into a hug.
“So, I hear you’re a virgin.”
When my body stills, my skin warming in embarrassment, Ethan leans over and whispers, “She means an ink virgin.”
“Oh, yes.” I give her an overly friendly awkward smile. “I’ve never gotten a tattoo before.”
“Well, I’m excited to be the first to mark your body.” She winks.
“She also wants to get pierced,” Ethan points out.
When I give him a wide-eyed look, he laughs. “You might as well knock two items off your list while we’re here.”
He’s right, but I was already about to have an anxiety attack thinking about what to get tattooed. Now I need to consider what to get pierced.
But then Stephen’s words come back to me—Live hard. Love harder—and I’m able to breathe again. I also know exactly what I want to get for my tattoo. Not only are they the words I want to live by, but they came from my brother and every time I read them, I’ll think of him.
“I’d like to get a tattoo that says, ‘Live hard. Love harder’,” I tell Willow.
She smiles and nods. “That’s a great motto to live by.”
“My brother said it to me… before he died.”
Her smile turns into a sympathetic frown. “I’m sorry for your loss. I promise to do it justice.”
“There he is,” a masculine voice says. “It’s been a minute.” The tall man with a thick beard and tattoos covering his arms walks over to Ethan and gives him a handshake.
“Thank you for doing me this solid,” Ethan says to him. “Jax, this is Nevaeh; Nevaeh, Jax. He owns this place with his brother, Jase.”
“I do all your work and you don’t trust me to do your girl’s. I see how it is,” Jax says with a laugh.
“Nothing against you, but no man is touching her but me if you catch my drift.” Ethan glances over at me and winks, and for the millionth time since I’ve met him, I blush crimson.
Jax laughs. “Oh, I get it. Since the day Willow became mine, nobody touches her but me, not even to do her ink.”
“Such a caveman,” Willow groans, but I can hear laughter in her voice. “C’mon, Nevaeh, let’s go back to my station and I’ll draw something up. You said you want a piercing too?”